10k at most for rent? That's insane, I live in Manchester and pay 370 a month for a shared house with two other PhD students, so over three years - not counting writing up - I'm already on over 13k. Lets face it, it's almost impossible to do a PhD with less than 10k a year for those paying fees. For those who have undergrad debts you need at least 14k a year.

If you want something truly beautiful(and classy), try the Hotel Nacional de Cuba in Havana. It's a beautiful art deco classic hotel - the most famous in Cuba where lots of famous peeps have stayed. But more importantly the gardens are stunning. We were there a couple of years ago and a wedding took place and it was incredible. They had it just before sunset and you could see the old colonial buildings of Havana twinkling in the background, just over the bay - sooooooo good. Plus I know a few UK companies do breaks there, and you could probably get a bargain. One other thing - I think you have to be in Cuba a full week before they let you get married, so you'd need 7-10 days. (Just avoid hurricane season - you'd have to have it the end of Sept to be sure!)

Hey!
We only get paid three times a year, on the last fridays of September, January and May. It's great to have over 4k in the bank but total crap the last month before you get paid! Damn those monthly bills!

I've just written bits of things. Bit of an intro, bit of a lit review and half a chapter. None are PhD level, more like extended notes. But from speaking to second and third years that's completely normal, there's no point writing for the sake of it. If you're not sure of what you want to say you'll really struggle, and then when you need to write you'll just remember that you couldn't and get demoralised. Wait till Christmas then just spend two or threee months getting everything you've found so far down and then separate it and work out where else you need to do research for.

Hi Barnaby!
I'm a GTA (but salaried not paid per hour), and there is absolutely nothing to stop me teaching elsewhere - except a total lack of time! We don't have a contract, or even an informal agreement, but that might be because my uni is pants at admin.
If you're not currently a GTA (but starting soon) then you might find restrictions on your time, if you think it's manageable do it. But it's usually good to check with someone who has helped devise the GTA teaching policy. At ours we have a director of Graduate Studies who is the holy grail of knowledge on this stuff.

Hi dovetailed.
I took out a CDL for my Masters, and am now doing a PhD, and the repayments are manageable. I took out £6000 and pay around £130 a month back, which when you consider that the average funded PhD-er gets over £1000 a month, is more than ok. Plus, I'm a social scientist in an extremely unusual field that doesn't offer funding normally, but I (god knows how) got some. So don't presume that debts preclude a PhD. If you do take out a CDL, as a PhD you may want to take out a graduate loan from your bank (very very good rates) which will then pay off your CDL far more cheaply.
It all comes down to how confident you are with regards to obtaining funding for your PhD.

Hi all!
All the admissions people I've come across really can't be bothered either - I rang one guy who basically said "the letters went out last week, you'll have to wait to get it", I insisted he told me and it took him 10 seconds to check on the system. Furthermore, my uni tried to get me to pay overseas fees on the basis that I study Yugoslavia, and they didn't believe someone English would speak Serbo-Croat! I was born in Manchester, and only lived abroad for one year of my life. Mentalist admin pillocks!

Hi fatbob (lovin the name!),
Just a quick query. When you say the terms state that you can't work elsewhere, is that a general or work elsewhere as a tutor/lecturer? A few friends of mine have got teaching in other departments but often the amount of prep and marking involved isn't worth the effort. I teach up to six hours a week officially, but am paid a flat amount per year rather than per class - maybe your department will do the same? If not in your first year, maybe later when you have proved how good you are at it...

Hey PinkNeuron, you must feel so insecure and low at the moment... which uni are you at? If it's a big research-oriented one, then they're probably being honest with you. Could your supervisor offer any reassurance?

Hey Craig, I was in exactly the same position, although I decided after 6 months that I wanted to go, after being unhappy since day 1. Other unis are not overly critical of someone transferring, they realise that a PhD requires so much dedication that you must be doing something that you absolutely want to do. All I can say is apply elsewhere - be absolutely honest without slagging off your current uni - and just see what's out there. It doesn't matter if you stay or go, you just need options!

I'm an IR PhD, and I lecture undergrads and MAs too. Our uni also offers internal PhD funding. As far as my uni goes, even if you get a Masters, its unlikely you'll get a funded PhD (if that's what you want), even if its just a fee waiver... the competitions too strong. Plus, when I was doing my MA there were a small number of students who got 2:2s and were signed up to do the PG diploma, and if their marks were enough they were upgraded to the MA. None of them managed it.
Sorry to sound negative, but this is just my experience!

Michael A, I applied to a different uni so I explained to them that my current uni did not have the depth to support my work, and that I strongly felt I could produce a better piece of research in a different environment. I haven't changed my topic though, I've just come to the realisation that however good a supervisor may be (or try to be), there needs to be a wider network... Haven't been interviewed though, I submitted an application to the new Uni, and exchanged a few emails with the new Supervisor, and then they made their decision

Hi everyone thanks for your help. When I said that no-one understands what I'm doing, it's because my supervisor is the only member of staff who does my actual subject, and she is supportive, but even she doesn't really agree with my theory. Imagine for example a department only had one biologist, or one english lecturer - that's my position. The other members of staff in my dept aren't in my subject group but make it very clear that my work has no value.

I started my PhD last autumn, and I've been unhappy since pretty much day one. My supervisor is really lovely, although she doesn't really know my topic, she does try, but there is no support for the rest of the department. No-one else understands what I am doing, and several members of our small department are openly hostile to my work (although they have no direct involvement in my research), furthermore although my research institute offers funding for conference attendance, there are no procedures, and other students have received assistance when I haven't, even though I have been supported by my supervisor, and I have been given no explanation as to why. In March I decided to apply to other unis, and have now been offered a place, with funding, elsewhere, but I officially have to start again from day one of first year. Should I go?

First supervisor at important meeting to explain that I want to transfer my PhD elsewhere: "my nipples hurt"

Second supervisor over dinner with several high-powered guests from other unis, demonstrating the reason I want to go: "I'm not sure what she does, but she's reductionist"